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Matters required, or that in the interests of a co‑op, can be decided only by the Board as a whole.

Self Assessment Workbook

Welcome to the board! While you may feel like the new guy on the block, nearly every board has a class of "freshmen direc­tors." Most organizations stagger board terms for consistency, transition of projects, and essential knowledge transfer. Here are some fundamentals of board service worth knowing at the start:

None of you look good in an orange jumpsuit even though orange is the new black

The steering committee is the first formal group to work toward the formation of a co-op. At the time of incorporation, an interim board of directors is chosen to take over the decision-making that determines the direction of the co-op. At the first general membership meeting, an official board of directors is elected. Tasks for all of these groups unfold at a rapid rate. There is always too much to do, and not enough easy information. Each of these groups builds on the work of the group before it, and benefits from the same group process skills. Some key elements of board process can make the job of an active board easier.

An important part of decision-making involves determining how a decision will be carried out. This requires the delegation of responsibilities. A democratically run building will have all tenants involved at one time or another performing some task, no matter how small. It is a way for tenants to show their support and commitment

The principles of good governance for housing co-ops Governance is the task of defining the goals and standards of an organization and ensuring that there are effective management and other structures that will enable the organization to achieve those goals and standards.

Mission creep and micromanagement are disorders of a board. The symptoms and cures are different. Both create disruption in an organization.

Directors of co-operatives are required to exercise reasonable care, skill and diligence. This guidance note follows the recommendations set out in the FRC Guidance on Board Effectiveness. A prospective director (whether elected or appointed) should undertake his/her own thorough examination of the co-operative to satisfy themselves that it is an organization in which they can have faith and in which they will be well suited to working, and being involved, with.

Great leaders demonstrate how to be a force for good in local communities and beyond. Our cooperative heroes—the Rochdale Pioneers—were striking weavers who opened a grocery co-op in 1844 in Rochdale, England, to help themselves and others get free from indebtedness to the company store.